Machine for extruding one or more materials



April 14, 1953 I J. FLOCKHART MACHINE FOR EXTRUDING ONE OR MORE MATERIALS Filed April 18, 1949 6 SheetS-Sheet 1 JHMES Had/(H199 I N VEN TOR.

April 14, 1953 J. FLOCKHART 2,634,691

MACHINE FOR EXTRUDING ONE OR MORE MATERIALS Filed April 18, 1949 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 JHMES FlOCKf/HET,

IN VEN TOR.

1 77' TOE/V5 V April 14, 1953 J. FLOCKHART MACHINE FOR EXTRUDING ONE OR MORE MATERIALS 6 Sheets-Sheet 55 Filed April 18, 1949 April 14, 1953 J. FLOCKHART 2,634,691

MACHINE FOR EXTRUDING ONE OR MORE MATERIALS 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed April 18, 1949 JA'MES Hoe/(#0427;

INVENTOR.

WKW

HTTOQNEV April 14, 1953 J. F'LOCKj-IART 2,534,691

MACHINE FOR EXTRUDING ONE OR MORE MATERIALS 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed April 18, 1949 JHMES Hoe/(M927; INVENTOR.

I20 22 I W M HITOQNEV April 14, 1953 J. FLOCKHART 2,634,691

MACHINE FOR .EXTRUDING ONE OR MORE MATERIALS Filed April 18, 1949 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 AWTOEN'V Patented Apr. 14, 1953 MACHINE FOB EXTRUDING ONE OR MORE MATERIALS James Flockhart, Los Angeles, Calif., assignor of one-half to Harry A. Vincent, Los Angeles,

. Calif.

Application April '18, 1949, Serial No. 88,218

This invention relates to automatic forming or conditioning equipment or apparatus, and particularly to a machine for shaping and delivering tamale meat and corn meal ready for wrapping, although the machine maybe used to form or pack other materials.

Tamale machines have been constructed and. used, various types of such machines being shown in U. S. Patents No. 1,654,871 of January 3, 1928; No. 2,134,862 of November 1, 1938; No. 2,142,468 of January 3, 1939; No. 2,303,351 of December 1, 1942; and No. 2,343,599 of March '7, 1944. It will be noted that the machines of these patents utilize screw feeds for extruding the meal and meat to the wrapping machine, or use a gear pump, such as shown in Patent No. 2,343,599. The present invention is directed to a tamale machine which utilizes a predetermined bore and adjustable piston strokes to determine the amounts of corn meal and meat or gravy which are extruded to form tamales of desired sizes and weights. Variable amounts of other materials may be similarly controlled. Separate screw feed hoppers are provided for the ingredients, such as the corn and meat, these units operating continuously to load separate equalized pressure chambers, from which the piston strokes force a constant amount of each ingredient through the extruder. During the extruding operation, the pressure feed chambers are isolated from the piston cylinders, after which the cylinder or port outlets are closed, the pressure chambers opened, and each ingredient drawn and urged into its respective. cylinder to provide the materials for successive tamales. Since the stroke of each piston is individually adjustable, and when once adjusted, alwavs measures the same amount of material, tamales may be produced which seldom vary from the exact weight desired, thus saving much material by eliminating overweight tamales which occur when tamales are made by hand or with certain other types of machines. Since the screw feed from the hoppers is independent of the piston feed, the piston feed may provide any desired pressure on the material, depending upon its consistency.

The machine of the invention has a triple speed control. The speed of the entire machine can be increased or decreased to vary the output of the machine; the stroke of the pistons can be varied-to change the size and weight of the tamales; and the speed of the feeding screws can be varied to deliver the necessary amounts of ingredients at the desired consistency when the size or -the tamale is varied. Other features re-' 9 Claims. 107-4) side in the severing or cutting and delivering mechanism, which is in the form of a pair of oppositely operating knives which close the discharge tubes during the severing operation, and a clam shell delivery unit, which is electrically heated to insure the smooth and certain delivery of each tamale. The machine may be easily and rapidly cleaned through the piping of water to the critical points therein. Another mechanical drive feature reduces the number of cams and the over-all mechanism to a minimum, this feature being a chain drive control of the extruding pistons and the severing and clam shell discharge unit. By changing the piston action to alternate operation, continuous extrusion of a material may:

be accomplished.

The principal object of the invention, therefore, is to facilitate the formation and production of one or more materials.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved tamale making machine having an intermittently operating piston extruder for each separate ingredient and which are individually controllable to provide the desired proportioning of the ingredients, as well as a predetermined size of the complete tamale.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved tamale machine with speed controls for varying the rate at which tamales of any particular size are produced and speed controls for varying the proportioning of the ingredients and the size of the tamale.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved tamale machinehaving individual pressure-equalized storage chambers fed from the supply hoppers of the machine.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a tamale machine which may be quickly and rapidly washed and cleaned after use thereof.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved discharge unit for a tamale machine, the unit severing the completed tamale to size and insuring the delivery thereof.

Although the novel features which are believed to be characteristic of this invention will be pointed out with particularity in the appended ,claims, the manner of its organization and. the

mode of its operation will be better understood by referring to the following description, read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings,

forming a part hereof, in which:

, Fig. 1 is a front, elevational view of a machine embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a side, elevational view of tamale the machine embodying the invention and taken along' the line 2"-2 of Fig. 1.

showing the control mechanism for the cylinder-F shown in Fig. 5.

Fig. '7 is a cross-sectional viewof the operating cams for the discharge unit taken along the line 11 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a cross-sectionalwiewrtaken along thej line 8-8 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 9 is a partial view of theeontroLmechanism taken along the line 9 9 ofFigJ 4.

Figs. 10 and 11 are front, elevational views =of the severing knives and clam shell discharge unit. Fig.12 .is adetailed yiewofthe crankcontrolfor the discharge unit:shown.'in- 10 and 11.

Fig. 13 is a detailed .viewmnthe-strokez adjusting. mechanism for theextrudingpistons.

- fig; 14 is a-modification.oflthe'discharge unit.

Fig.15 is a perspectiveyiewhfa modificationof thedelivery unit-shown in Figs. 10- and 11.

Fig. 16 is an end'view of the unit shownin Fig. 15,- .taken along the line |6--:|6.-thereof,-and

Fig. 17 is an end view showing another position;

of. the delivery unit of Figs. Hand 16.

.Referringnow to-athe. drawingspin which .the

same. numerals identify. likee-elements," a frame,

having uprightuleg members 51'. andhorizontal members .6, 1,.- and.',8,. hasmountedLthereon the various shafts, gears, and othersdriveand control elements flthe machine embodying the invention. --.Although. the-Hmachine .is being described in connection withuthevmaking. of tamales, it.is also suitable. .for .forming. and-packagingother..emulsifiechzmaterialsrzz as. explained hereinafter. .The .frame .-.is-. .mountednoni 'wheels such. as shownat 10; lpand- J,2, .the corners..of the .frame beingsupplied-@ withscrew Jacks, such asshownat 14, |.5,--.and 1,6, whichmaybevlowered to anchor the machine in any location. Mounted on one of the.lowencross:memhers, is altreadle mechanism J8, which,.when.pressed downwardly with. the foot; will actuate. a clutch 20tmounted on a.- shaft 2|. ...Mounted ..on ...the ..lower cross piece. 8,.is. a. motor. .23, which,.- through. a belt. 24, drives a standard commercial ;.type-.. of speed changelmechanism. .2 5,. which,.in turn,.-1)y. belt .26, drives the. .clutch 2.0. The extension .bfthe-sh'aft 2 Inmays beconnected -..to.=.the..dri1le 10L a tamale wrappingmachine. (notlshown). lIThe shaft 2|.

is coupled, .bya chain 28-, toa'shaft 29, connected to a reduction gear box. 3|. .A .shaft. 32,-. whose ends protrude from box 3.|.,.has.sprockets on one end .thereof,.one driving a chain 3,4,-which rotates a shaft 35, which, through bevel gears,.drives a shaft 36, which may,.in turn,. be connected to a tamale conveyor belt drive (not shown)v for a belt such as shown in broken Tlines'"31 in'JEigs. Land 2. These gears may bespaced .tointermittently stop. thebelt at. the instant when altamale is deposited thereon.

Another sprocket on. shaft 32 Idrives a chain 40, which rotates a shaft 4|,"this shaft'driving a belt 42 connected to aspeed change mechanism 43, which is belted-bya'beltfl to a pulley on shaft 45 of the screw. at the bottom of ahopper 46. As shown'in Fig. 3,;the'shaft 45 drives a. screw 48 atthebottom 'of the'hopp'erlfi. iOn thet'other side offthe, gearLunit 3|" (see'Fig.-. 1), is

a sprocket mounted onthe' othenend of shaft 32 and driving chain 50, similar to drive chain 40, which rotates shaft 5| and, through belts 52 and 53, drives a shaft 54 of the screw 56 in hopper 51. This drive also has a speed change unit 58 similar to the one shown at 43, so that the speed of rotation of the screws 48 and 56 may be independently varied with respect to one another, or varied simultaneously.

Referring now to the hopper and screw feed iinreans, the right-hand end of screw 48 operates Within acylinder 59, while the left-hand end of ;'.screw"56 operates within a cylinder 66, these screws being of the right and left-hand types so that the tamale-ingredients are mixed and fed .from-the.:hoppers 46 and 51 to feeding or storage chambers in theilower portions of vertical containencylinders or tubes 62 and 63. These cylr inders have'cl'osing top plates 64 and 65, respecti-vely; through which are threaded hollow screw bolts 66 and 61, within which are slidable piston rods iiii-tand. 69. -.At the lower end. .of the rods 68 and .69, are pistons, such asI-shown at. H in tube.62,.. :between. which and the upper ends. of the cylinders; aresprings, suchas'shown at 12. Thus,..pressure. against.the under-surface of the pistons 7| will compress the springs in accordance with the position to which they are adjusted by the screw bolts 66 and 61.

The lower ends ofthe cylinders 52 and 63' are connected to apair offpa'rallel, horizontal container .cylinders'fi3 and 74, within which are sleeve valve containe cylinders 15, one of which is s'h'o'wn in perspective 'in Fig. 5. 1 Each cylinder 15' has'an upper opening or" portllfwhich acts as a'valve and is adapted to coincide with o enings'in thelower' ends'of the tubes 62 and 63 when in one position, and close the tubes when the cylinders 75 are rotated substantially ninety (90) degrees. The. cylinders 15 also have end ope'ningsor ports 18, adapted to coincide with similarly shaped openings or ports 19"(see Fig. 4)f"in the ends of cylinders 73 and 74 to form out-let'valves. 'Th'ese ports or valves" are so arrangedthat; when the bottom ends of cylinders 62-and' 63 are closed, openings 18 and '79 coincide or are in alignment. Thus, rotation of'the cylinders 15 approximately ninety (90) degrees by a double-sided rack-B0, in mesh with the teeth of the "ring gears 8|, will close the cylinders or tubes 62 and 63 and open the ends ofthe cylinders 15,

rotation of the cylinders 75 in the opposite ditherefrom when the tubes 52 and 63' areclosed andthe ports 18 are open.

Within each cylinder 15, is a piston, such as shown at' 82 and 83 (see Fig. 8); the pistons being driven by piston rods 84 and 81, connected to the end of crank arms, such as shown at 85, and crank arm 85 being pivoted at 86 and driven by a shaft 88 slidable within a slot' 89. (See Fig; 6.) The shaft 88-is shown in Fig. 13 connected to a block- 9|], threaded on a shaft 9|, extending between the ends of a yoke 93. The yoke 93 is mounted on theend' of rotatable shaft 4|. Rotation of shaft 4| reciprocates the piston 83, the lengthof the stroke of the piston 83 being controlled by the positionof the block'90 on That is, as the block 90 approaches theaxis .ofthe shaft 4|, the stroke of the piston 83 will be diminished, and vice versa. A similar mechanism, mounted on the end of shaft 5|,

reciprocates the other piston -82 in cylinder 15 in tube", it being realized that the shafts 4| and SI may be synchronized so that the pistons operate simultaneously or alternately. Simultaneous operation will extrude two ingredients simultaneously and intermittently, while alternate operation will provide a continuous flow through a common outlet.

To control the opening and closing of the ports 11 andIS in the sleeve valve cylinders I5, the rack 80, in mesh with ring gears 8!, is reciprocated intermittently in a vertical direction in a predetermined relationship with the strokes of the pistons 83. This is accomplished by a chain 95driven by a chain 96 from the gear box 3L Referring now to Figs. 4, 6, and 9, it will be noted thatthe chain 95 has a lug 97 attached thereto, which is adapted to make contact with the legs of a U-shaped arm 98, spanning the chain, when the arm '98 is in the position shown in Fig. 6, and will make contact with the legs of a similar arm I00, when the arm I60 is in the same relative position as that shown by the arm 98. The arms 98 and I are fixedly mounted on shafts I62 and. I03, to which are also attached a pair of arms I04 and I05, having slotted openings in the ends thereof, through which a pin I06 passes. Also attached to shaft I03 is a yoke arm I01, to the ends of which a link member I08 is connected by pin I09, (see Fig. 9) the link member I68 being connected to the lower end of the double-toothed rack 60. Thus, as the chain is driven in the direction shown by the arrow in Fig. 6, the lug 9'! moves the end of the arm 90 to the right, which lowers the slotted end of arms I64 and I05, rotates shaft I03 and yo"e I61, and moves the rack 80 downwardly. As the arm I moves downwardly, the arm-I00 is moved to a vertical position, so that when the lug 91 moves to the left along its lower path, it will rotate arm I60 to the left, rotate shaft I03 and yoke I01, and raise the rack 80. This reciprocal movement of the rack rotates the sleeve valves 15, alternately opening and closing the lower ends of cylinders or tubes 62 and 63 and the exit ports 18, as explained above.

To describe the operation of the portion of the machine thus far described, the hoppers 46 and 51 are filled with the ingred ents, such as corn meal in hopper 46 and meat in hopper 51, if tamales are to be made. The machine is then started and the screws 48 and 56 are rotated continuously to feed these ingredients into the respective storage chambers between the bottom surfaces of pistons 'II and the sleeve valve cylinders I5. Assuming that the openings 1 are u the cylinders 15 will be filled with materials, during which time the ports I8, at the end of the cylinders, are closed. The rack 80 is then raised and the openings TI rotated ninety (90) degrees. which closes the exits from the chambers in the cylinders 62 and 63 and opens the end of the cylinders 18. It is to be noted that, during the time the cylinders 62 and 63 are closed at the bottom, the screws 48 and 56 continue to feed the materials into the chambers under the pistons II. The sizes of the chambers can expand to accommodate the input by compressing the springs I2. Thus, speed tolerances are provided for the screw feeds and the densities and consistencies of the ingredients are maintained the same as when placed into the hoppers. During operation, the rods 66 and 69 move up and down as the tubes 62 and 63 are opened and closed, any tendency to vary their average position in any direction being corrected by the speed control 6 ofthe screws. Water openings H0 (See'.Fig.'8).; in the lower portions of cylinders 15,v maybe also opened and closed, these openings. being used to flush the cylinders when cleaning.

As soon as tubes 62 and 63 are closed and ports I8 opened, the pistons 82 and 83 move toward the, discharge ends of the cylinders 15, which extrudes the ingredients from the cylinders 15. The meat in hopper 51 and cylinder 63, isdischarged directly into a tube H5 passing'through chamber H2, and the corn meal in hopper 46 and cylinder 62, into chamber H2 and around tube H5. (See Fig. 8.) The end of tube '5 is slightly tapered, where connected to cylinder. 14. At the end of the forward strokes of the pistons 82 and 83, the rack rotates the cylinders 15 back'to their origi-' nal position, closing the openings I8 and bringing the openings TI to their upper positions 00- incident with the lower exits of tubes 62 and 63. The material then in the tubes 62 and 63 will. not only fall through the openings 11 under the urgin of spring biased pistons II, but will be' drawn therein by the suction of the pistons on their backward strokes to their'positions shown in Fig. 6. Thus, the reciprocating action of the rack 80 and the pistons 82 and 83 continue to intermittently fill the respective cylinders 15 and extrude the materials therefrom. The meat ingredient is fed through the smaller tube H5; and the corn meal ingredient is extruded from chamber H2 through the larger tube H6 coaxially surrounding tube H5. Thus, the meal surrounds the meat ingredient to form the tamale structure as the ingredients are discharged from the concentric ends of tubes I I5 and H6.

To sever the tamale at the ends of tubes H5 and H6, which now consists of an outside layer of meal and an inner core of meat, and to deposit it on the belt 31, the mechanism shown'in Figs. 4, '7, 10, ll, and 12 functions in a manner now to be described. On the end of shaft I03, is mounted an arm I which carries a threaded shaft I22, on which is a drilled ball I23 mounted between a s ring I24 and adjusting nuts I25 (see Fig. 12) The ball I23 has an arm I26 mounted thereon, which is pivoted on a shaft I 21, the shaft having attached thereto an arm I28. To the end of arm I23 is connected a driver rod or arm I30, which is pivotally connected at I3I to an arm I32. The arm I32 is part of a crank fixedly pivoted at I33 and having triple yoke legs I34, I35, and I33. Connected between the legs I34 and I35, is a rack arm I40, and between the yoke legs I35 and 35, is a rack arm I4I. As shown in Fig. 4, ends of these rack arms are connected at different d stances from the pivot po nt of the yoke legs I34, I35, and I36, as shown in Fig. 4, which will move the arms different amounts for the same movement of driver arm I30. Rack arm I is connected to the end of rack I43, and rack arm MI is connected to rack I44.

The rack I43 is in mesh with a pinion I50, and the rack I44 is in mesh with a pinion I5I, pinion I5I oscillating a shaft I52, on which it is mounted and on which is also mounted. a pinion I53 in mesh with a pinion I54 attached to a shaft I55. Thus, oscillation of the pinion I5I will oscillate shafts I52 and I55 in opposite direction. Similarly, the rack I43 is in mesh with a gear I50, which is attached to a shaft I rotatable on and concentric with shaft I55, and on which is mounted a pinion I6I in mesh with a pinion I62 on a shaft I63, rotatable on and concentric with shaft I52. The shaft I52 has mounted thereon blocks I65 and I66, and the shaft I55 has mounted thereon blocks I61 and I68. To these blocks are mounted depending rods I10, I1I, and I12, to which are attached respectiveclam shell sections I15 and I16. Thus, oscillation of shafts I52 and I55 will bring'the bottom edges of the shell sections I15 and I16 together, as shown in Fig. 10, and open them to the position shown in Fig. 11, which will deposit the tamale on belt 31.

Simultaneously with the opening and closing of the shell sections I 15 and I16, two knife blades I19 and I80 are actuated, these blades having openings I8I and I82, respectively, through which the tamale. passes when the blades are in the position shown in Fig. 10. Oscillation of shafts E60 and I63, to which these blades are attached by collars I85-and I86, will sever the tamale-at the ends-of the tubes H and I I6. Since the amount of actuation of the blades I19-and I80 should be different from that of the clam shell sections I and I16, it is obtained by the positioning of the left-hand ends of the drive arms I40 and MI at difierent positions in the yoke members I34, I35, and. I36, as mentioned above. To obtain a further adjustment of the amount of actuation of these elements, the ball I23 may be differently positioned on the threaded rod I22, the spring I24 providing a safety factor in case the blades or shell sections become jammed in any manner. It will be noted that the shape of the knives I19 and I80 is such that the discharge ends of pipes or tubes II5'and IIB are closed when the knives are in the position shown in Fig. 11 and the shell sections I15 andl 18 are open. This prevents any discharge of material during the severing and delivering operation.

Mounted on the back of shell sections I15 and I16, are a pair of electrical heating elements f88 and I90, these elements bein fed with current over conductors in a cable I 8|. These heating elements maintain the shell elements I15 and I16 at a predetermined temperature, so that the tamales will slide easily from the shell sections at all times when they are separated, regardless of the ambient temperature which could congeal the oil or grease in the tamales.

The timing of the operation of the knives and shell sections with respect to the pistons 83, is such that as soon as the pistons 83 have reached the end of their forward or delivery strokes, which determines the stopping of the extrusion of the tamale, the knives immediately operate to sever the tamale and the clam shell sections separate to drop the tamale on the belt 31. Timing is accomplished by sprocket and chain connections between the gear box unit 3| and the piston drive shafts 4! and 5|, the chain 95, which controls the rack 80 and the sleeve valves 15 and theoscillation of shaft I 03 which operates the knives I19 and I80 and the clam shell sections I15 and I16. The spring I24 on threaded shaft I22 provides a safety factor in the event of jamming of the knives or material supporting sections I15 and I16.

Referring again to Fig. 1, it will be noted that plumbing is shown, which includes a horizontal feed pipe I95, to which are connected vertical pipes I96 and I91 leading to the end of the feed cylinders 59 and 60, respectively, and pipes 200, I, and 202 leading to the cylinders 15 and chamber I I2. By operation of the various valves shown at 205, water may be allowed to run into these various sections of the machine to flush and wash them clean immediately after use.

Referring now to Fig. 14, a right-angled extrusion spout 209 is shown, which may be attached to one of the feed cylinders 14 by a flange 2), which will replace flange 2H for attaching tube II5 to the outlet of this cylinder, ormay be connected to the outer plate 2I2, as shown by flange 2I3 for the tube II 6. Thus, the filling cans, bottles, or other receptacles, the machine may extrude the material through the spout 209. By removal of plate 2I2, two different materials may be delivered separately or the same material may be delivered at two different points.

Referring now to Figs. 15, 16, and 17, if it is desired to use the machine for the preparation of other foodstuffs, such as ribbon-like corn flakes, a closed end cylinder, such as shown at 2I5, having a row of elongated apertures 2I6 on one side, and a similar row of apertures Zn on the other side, spaced substantially diametrically opposite one another, is attached to plate 2I2 by a flange 2I8. Mounted over the top portion of cylinder 2 I5, is a semi-cylindrical plate 222 mounted on two pairs of depending arms 223 and 224, connected to cross arms 225 and 226, respectively, which, in turn, are mounted on an oscillatory shaft 228. The shaft has a pinion 230 thereon, which may be geared to a rack 232, similarly to the racks I 43 and I 44 shown in Fig. 7. The rack has a driving arm 233 similar to one of arms I40 and H, a crank 234 pivoted at 236, and a connecting rod 231, similar to rod I30 in Fig. 4. As the rack is oscillated, the semicircular cutter 222 slides over the cylinder 2I5, the cutter, when in the position shown in Fig. 17, severing the ribbons of material extruded through the openings 2 I6 and closing these open ings, while permitting extrusion of the material through openings 2. When the shaft 228 is rotated in the opposite direction, the material will be severed at the openings 2I1 and allowed to extrude through the openings 2I6. A single row of apertures could also be used.

The machine as described above, therefore, is capable of mixing two ingredients in any predetermined definite proportions, either intermixing them, when one pipe H6 is used only, or combinng them in concentric layers, as just described. By the action of the springs 12, the material can be continually fed by the screws 48 and 58 into the equalized chambers in cylinders 62 and 63 and taken intermittently into the sleeve valve cyl nders 15 with constant consistencv. The pistons w'll then extrude an exact predetermined amount of material through the tubes H5 and N5, the proportioning of the material being under the control of the length of the piston strokes to provide the desired size and weight of the extruded product. Furthermore, the speed of the critical elements, such as the screws 48 and 56, may be separately controlled and the entire machine generally speeded up for faster production.

By a slight modification, rece tacles may be filled, while other forms of materials may be manufactured by a modification of the extruding end of the mechanism, as shown in Figs. 14 to 17, inclusive.

I claim:

1. A machine comprising a hopper for material to be formed into a product, means for continuously mixing and moving said material in a predetermined direction, a container having a space into which said material is continuously moved, a second container into which said material is intermittently moved, and piston means for intermittently extruding said materialfrom said second mentioned container, said second mentioned container being'a cylinder adapted to be oscillated about its longitudinal axis, said cylinder having an entrance port connecting with said first mentioned container, which port is opened and closed during oscillation of said cylinder, an exit port being provided in said cylinder and adapted to be opened and closed as said cylinder is oscillated, said entrance port being open and said exit port being closed during the movement of said piston means in one direction, and said exit port being open and said entrance port being closed during the movement of said piston means in the opposite direction.

2. A machine comprising a hopper for material to be formed into a product, means for continuously mixing and moving said material in a predetermined direction, a container having a space into which said material is continuously moved, a second container into which said material is intermittently moved, and piston means for intermittently extruding said material from said second mentioned container, a resiliently mounted piston being provided in a portion of said first mentioned container, said resiliently mounted piston varying the size of the space of said first mentioned container into which said material is continuously moved.

3. A tamale making machine, comprising a pair of hoppers for two ingredients of said tamale, screw means at the bottom of said hoppers for advancing the ingredients therein toward one another, a pair of vertically arranged cylinders between said hoppers and connected thereto into the lower portions of which said ingredients are continuously fed, equalizing means in the upper portions of said cylinders, a pair of horizontally disposed cylinders under said first mentioned cylinders and connected thereto and into which said ingredients are intermittently passed, said second mentioned cylinders including sleeve valve cylinders coaxially disposed therein, pistons in said sleeve valve cylinders for intermittently extruding said ingredients therefrom, means for directly carrying one of said ingredients to a discharge point, means for carrying said other ingredient to said discharge point concentrically disposed around said first mentioned ingredient, and means for simultaneously oscillating said sleeve valve cylinders about respective horizontal axes, one extreme position of said sleeve valve cylinders closing said vertical cylinders and opening said sleeve valve cylinders, and another extreme position of said sleeve valve cylinders opening said vertical cylinders and closing said sleeve valve cylinders.

4. A tamale making machine in accordance with claim 3, in which means are provided for varying the timing and lengths of the strokes of said pistons independently of one another to vary the time and amount of said ingredients being discharged from said sleeve valve cylinders during a single excursion of said pistons.

5. A tamale making machine in accordance with claim 3, in which means are provided for individually and independently varying the speed of 10 said screw means to vary the amount of said ingredients fed into said first mentioned cylinders.

6. A tamale making machine in accordance with claim 3, in which means are provided for simultaneously varying the speed of said screw means and said pistons to vary the output of said machine.

7. A tamale making machine in accordance with claim 3, in which said equalizing means in said first mentioned cylinders include pistons and springs positioned intermediate said pistons and the closed upper ends of said vertical cylinders.

8. A machine for forming and delivering material in a certain form, comprising a motor, a hopper, screw means for moving material from said hopper, a container into which said material is continuously delivered, cylindrical means into which said material is intermittently delivered from said container, piston means for intermittently extruding said material from said cylindrical means, gear and chain means connecting said motor to said piston means and said cylindrical means, and drive means connecting said screw means with said motor to continuously rotate said screw means, said gear and chain means including a rotatable shaft, a crank arm on said shaft for driving said piston means longitudinally within said cylindrical means, an oscillatory shaft, a second crank arm on said shaft, and a chain adapted to oscillate said second crank arm, and means connecting said oscillatory shaft with said cylindrical means for oscillating said cylindrical means about its longitudinal axis during substantially stationary periods of said piston means.

9. A machine for forming and delivering material in accordance with claim 8, in which said hopper, said screw means, said container, said piston means, and said cylindrical means are in respective pairs, a tube being provided for directly delivering the material from one hopper and a second concentrically positioned tube for delivering the material from the other hopper.

JAMES FLOCKHART.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

